Effective New Samsung Ad Pushes Features that iPhone Lacks

iPhone users who were upset that previous Samsung ads mocked them while promoting unique features in Samsung’s smart phones will love the firm’s new ad for the Galaxy S4. This ad does document many Galaxy S4 features that the iPhone lacks, but it does so without any mocking at all.

Called Graduation Pool Party, the new ad fits in stylistically with previous ads for the Galaxy S3, which mocked iSheep standing in line waiting for the next iProduct. This time around, it’s all about unique Galaxy S4 features. And while there’s certainly an iPhone moment—these people are incessantly told they have the most sophisticated phone there is, after all—there’s no actual mocking at all.

“So some smart phones are smarter than other smart phones?” an iPhone user asks a Galaxy user after discovering his phone doesn’t support Tap to Share.

“Exactly,” she says.

“What are we doing with these phones?” he then asks his wife.

Some key Galaxy S4 features shown in this ad include

Air Gesture. You can swipe your hands in front of the phone’s screen to answer calls and texts and perform other actions.

Tap to Share. Like its predecessor (and Windows Phone handsets), the Galaxy S4 supports an NFC tap to share feature that lets users transfer photos and other information between devices.

Drama Shot. This feature combines several photos taken in sequence to show an action scene similar in one shot.

Smart TV integration. Not surprisingly, the Galaxy S4 integrates with Samsung’s new Smart TVs and can be used as a smart remote control (somewhat similar to Xbox SmartGlass).

This is a great ad, and it proves that a more subtle approach can work too. I'm sure Apple fans will respect this approach ... he says mockingly.

Internationally, they should point out that while Apple's Siri only works in English and a few other languages, it will not work for in most people's native language. Nor does Passbook work outside select regions. This, of course, renders iP5 simply an expensive iP4, which in turn is, by today's standards, an expensive feature phone.

Google Now works in a large number of languages. Like a local non-tech publication wrote:

"Google may be an ad company. But the 'Now' product, with its speech recognition technology that can initiate tasks amongst other things, seems to make scifi reality. This is the type of ad company I like. Now, if only proper tech companies would create something like that, instead of just growing the screen pixel density in a new product."

Indeed. Perhaps Android advertisement ought to reflect that journalist's sentiments and pioint that out. iPhones with their US-only post-sales service-and-support, US-only technologies, and US-only affordable prices, are for Americans. Android devices are for the rest of us. Just like the Mac was never for us, but the PC.

Nice try....but....nobody is asking "What are we doing with these Phones." iPhone customers know what they are getting into. And the iPhone 5 design has MASSIVE appeal to people like me who don't want to carry a bigger phone.

Also, the S4's goofy new features has me thinking Samsung has "Jumped the Shark" with the Galaxy series. I think the HTC One is far more appealing with it's focus on build quality. That's a smarter way to gain momentum in this nearly mature platform. There just isn't anything else I need my Smart Phone to do.

I don't believe most iPhone owners "know what they're getting into." I think most of these people see iPhone as a safe choice, which it is. But it's also a choice that has been media manipulated into somehow being "better," "smarter," and worthy of the hype when in reality it is none of those. The iPhone comes with a lot of Apple baggage, including an overt avoidance of standards used by other phones (NFC, wireless charging) and an embracing of internally-made technologies (Lightning connector, NFC-less proprietary Wallet) that benefit Apple and not its users. This is a heavy price to pay for safety, as any thinking person will admit.

So ... I hear you. And I get that Apple fans in particular will be bothered by ads like this. But the reason is simple: Somewhere deep, this tugs at you--bothers you like an itch--because it's true.

And that is why this--and the previous anti-Apple "line" ads--are so effective. They touch on basic truths. You may not like the mocking, you may not like the harsh light of reality being pointed in your direction. But it's overdue and deserved. And if you can still use Apple products when confronted by these realities, and still defend them for whatever reason, bravo to you. But don't assume that most of your fellow iPhone users are that educated. They're not.

This ad, like most Samsung ads, is focussed on marketing gimmicks which few would, I imagine, ever use much, if ever. How many times have I wished I could use my phone's screen without touching it? Never. LIkewise the other USPs in the ad. Things such as TV remotes and camera apps are available in large numbers in the app store, so there may very well already be apps which duplicate Samsung's features on iOS for those that care to look.

Personally I see the future of phones as being along the lines of Google Now. That's the first step into doing something truly new and useful with this technology, but of course it's something Samsung would never feature in an ad, as they like to pretend that their phones are unique Samsung phones, not Android phones. If only Google could come up with a truly great Nexus phone.

I think people are too quick to write off Apple in this race. iOS may be a little dated now, but it still has more apps than any other phone platform, and it gets the latest and greatest often before anyone else. If you're into playing games on the go, iOS is still the only choice worth making outside of dedicated handhelds such as the 3DS.

The next version of iOS could really be very interesting. Apple will hopefully get an OS which looks as good as their hardware always has, and if they can get Siri to Google Now levels of performance, then iOS will be an interesting OS again. Add to that their ever growing network of stores and brand caché, and who knows, they could re-take the top spot. Of course making an iPhone with a 5" screen wouldn't hurt either.

They're in with a shot, which is of course, more than Nokia and Blackberry have at this point. (sorry!)

"Things such as TV remotes and camera apps are available in large numbers in the app store, so there may very well already be apps which duplicate Samsung's features on iOS for those that care to look."

Amazing!!... So you actually can download an app that gives your iPhone an IR Remote? Its Magical, I say, pure magical what these iPhone apps can do... ;-)

I use an iPhone at the moment and am pretty tempted to switch to an Android when my contract's up later this year (probably to a Nexus)... but I don't think this ad is anything to shout home about. All these features mentioned are gimmicks which would rarely see any use in real life.

The smartphone industry seems to have reached a bit of a plateau just now where both iOS and Android are pretty much feature complete and both are scraping the barrel for new things to get people to carry on upgrading.

No doubt someone will come along with a revolutionary product again at some point but I don't think the Galaxy 4 is it by any stretch of the imagination.

At the moment it's looking like I'm going to switch from Windows Phone to iPhone later this year. I'm fed up with being on a 3rd rate platform. Microsoft just doesn't see to care about getting necessary features fast.

"I don't believe most iPhone owners "know what they're getting into." I think most of these people see iPhone as a safe choice, which it is. But it's also a choice that has been media manipulated into somehow being "better," "smarter," and worthy of the hype when in reality it is none of those."

I think the appeal of the iPhone is the integration of Macs, iCloud, iPhones, Apple TV, etc. The devices individually may not have every bell and whistle (and, sorry, I just do not need to use my phone without touching it...), but collectively, along with all the media and apps, the case is compelling.

This isn't very deep thinking, and I doubt most purchasers could even articulate why they bought the Apple products. But, roughly speaking, "It just works" is the reason. The case Samsung is making is that what just works is a limited set of features, and that's true. But it covers nearly all of what most people seem to want.

"And if you can still use Apple products when confronted by these realities, and still defend them for whatever reason, bravo to you. But don't assume that most of your fellow iPhone users are that educated. They're not."

Fair enough, but I don't think typical Android users or Blackberry or Windows Phone are any better informed.

Android purchasers now outnumber iPhone purchasers, so the propellor-head stereotype is wrong, because there just aren't that many! Android probably gets purchased because it's ubiquitously available from so many carriers, is cheaper up front, and "Oh, look, the screen is bigger". Again, not a deep analysis.

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